The Good Trade Build Thread: '85 720 4x4

[hosestop@msn.com]

Hey Servo , if you like truck and plan to keep offer 500 I am with you ,rebuild motor and run into ground , my local machine shop would charge 1200 to long block rebuild out of car , so find a good machine shop , funny most 85 were FI. I thought , two injectors and simple .

[TomServo]

Thanks everyone for the advice, the feedback has been extremely helpful. 

 

The trade hit some hiccups (as they often do) and is on hold indefinitely.

 

I have some other irons in the fire, I'll check back in if any turn out to be Datsuns. Thanks again!

[Charlie69]

12 hours ago, hosestop@msn.com said:

Hey Servo , if you like truck and plan to keep offer 500 I am with you ,rebuild motor and run into ground , my local machine shop would charge 1200 to long block rebuild out of car , so find a good machine shop , funny most 85 were FI. I thought , two injectors and simple .

Here in AZ most 85 86 720 are factory carbureted.  I have personally seen 5 85 720 4x4s that were factory FI.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Charlie69

[TomServo]

Well, as quickly as it fell through it's back on, haha! Met up with truck owner to get another look at things and discuss some details. 

 

One thing that concerns me (of the many things concerning me) is twisted metal around the dizzy drive gear. Anyone know what the heck is going on there? 

 

[datzenmike]

Someone put the oil slinger between the chain sprocket and the distributor/oil pump worm gear. Slide the worm gear off and remove the metal. Jesus, look at the blue RTV on everything. Must be a GM owner they love that shit.

 

Any L or Z series oil slinger will do for replacement. They are sort of dish shaped. Face the dish outwards.

[wayno]

First thing I would figure out is what is damaged other than that oil slinger, it didn't get that way by itself, it was hitting something to look like that.

[TomServo]

Ok, thanks for the info. Now I'm wondering if the owner already tried to do the head job and perhaps put things together incorrectly. The timing chain might have made contact with the slinger, tearing it up. I really don't know but seems likely that pieces of it are now in the oil pan?

[wayno]

I do not believe the timing chain hit, but maybe the oil pump/distributor drive spindle/shaft did, is that shaft anywhere to be found?

[datzenmike]

Better in the oil pan than bouncing around.

 

You're looking for one of these...

 

[TomServo]

Took lots of photos and this was one of them, looks like it's in there!

[wayno]

Too bad we cannot see the teeth on that part, something chewed that oil slinger up.

[datzenmike]

The teeth are hardened and the slinger is soft. It only has to fling oil off the nose of the crankshaft so it doesn't overload the seal in the front.

[thisismatt]

Looks like a cool truck. In CA it would be a smog hassle, but maybe not in OR? I don't really get the Subaru cult...some cool features, but they don't age well IMO and engine reliability seems meh...

[620slodat]

In Oregon the only places that do smog checks on vehicles is the Portland metro area, and Medford, at opposite ends of I-5. Subaru's to me are like a Tmex watch, "takes a licken' and keeps on ticken'" (one of their ad lines from many years ago for those that are too young to know what that line means). If I had the funds I might be interested in the Subaru if it was a wagon and all wheel drive. Many years ago we got a beater 1973 2wd Subaru station wagon that was like that Timex watch. The first vehicle we had that would consistently get over 20 mpg.

 

Don

[Lockleaf]

My daily driver is a 2005 impreza with 230k miles on it.  Owned it since 145K. I commute over 50 miles each way to work every week day in that thing.

 

I snapped a timing belt not long after purchase.  My fault for not checking if it had ever been done.

 

Blew head gaskets because i ignored a cracked radiator a little too long.

 

Burns a fair amount of oil.

 

What I'm getting at is its in no way any less reliable than my 720 ever has been.  And this place is kinda a cult for datsun.

 

And back on topic

 

That slinger is steel so you could just chuck a magnet down into the oil pan and call it good if you don't feel like pulling the motor.  Magnet should trap the chunks.

[720ADDICT]

Take the Trade.

Black 720s are rare.

Subies with blown head gaskets?

Not really.

Other than a 720, I drive a 92 legacy wagon.

[datzenmike]

On 5/25/2019 at 10:38 AM, Lockleaf said:

 

 

 

 

That slinger is steel so you could just chuck a magnet down into the oil pan and call it good if you don't feel like pulling the motor.  Magnet should trap the chunks.

 

The pieces may already have flushed out with an oil change. Either way they are much heavier than oil and will stay on the bottom. The oil pick up has a strainer so I woouldn't worry about it. Think of it a a bullet lodged near the spine... it's not causing any trouble and surgery is risky.

[TomServo]

Quick update: been a busy weekend of not buying cars. I decided to do a little looking before trading for a broken truck.

 

Friday I looked at a 720 here in town that "needs clutch work". Seller listed it as clean title, neglecting to mention it was actually totaled until I was there looking at it. Thanks . . . Next, I made plans to drive up the PDX to look at another 720 when a Toyota 4x4 came up locally for less than the 720. So, I scrapped the Portland trip only to have the yota nipped by someone else. Oh well. 

 

So, back to square one with the trade tentatively happening tomorrow. I question the wisdom of taking someone else's unfinished, possibly botched project but it's pretty low risk and could be fun, so whatever. I'll update you all again either way. 

[]2eDeYe]

Factory black, king cab 4x4....

That is a rare bird, motors are a dime a dozen.

My 2 pennies :)

[TomServo]

Well, the question has been answered: the trade is good because the trade happened and everything that happens is good. Or something like that.

 

Thanks again for everyone's input, I might create a new thread once I start putting it back together since I'll be needing your collective technical advice!

 

First, this thing needs a wash! 

 

[Draker]

Good luck with the new project!

[TomServo]

For continuity, I decided I should just keep going on this thread to really see if this was worth it!

 

One of the issues that almost killed the trade is that the original head was found to be cracked. The machine shop located another head but the owner did not want to cover the additional cost. So, whatever I obviously decided to go ahead with it and picked up the head today. 

 

I also went through the paper trail which dates all the way back to its purchase in 1985. It currently has 310,000 miles, with a rebuilt engine at 260k, rebuilt transmission at 280k, and a new clutch at 308k. In fact, pretty much everything has been replaced at least once along the way.

 

Among other records I also found a note saying it was repainted in 2013. From what I can tell, the cab was and is factory black while the bed has been replaced with a red one and painted to match. Why that's not noted anywhere, when everything down to carb adjustments are dated is beyond me. 

 

 

[Charlie69]

This is what you need!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1985-NISSAN-Truck-Service-Manual-Vintage-Used/352667169523?hash=item521c99f2f3:g:cX0AAOSw2etc30Le

[TomServo]

A couple quick questions that have come up in my head before even starting:

 

Since the rocker arm assembly is attached to the head, should I (is it even possible to) set the lash prior to installing it on the block? I noticed the open valves extend past the surface of the head. Maybe that's normal. 

 

Also, should I install the head or timing cover first? It seems easier to install the timing chain with the head on but then I worry about the head shim and gasket when installing the cover. Any recommendations? 

[wayno]

Put the front cover on before the head.